Transcript Highlights:

• minor can then make a decision; it's recorded in the registry as an informational decision, and it preserves
• The bill preserves the coroner as the decision-maker while broadening who he or she can rely upon for

Bills: SB57 , SB405 , HB62 , HB193 , HB203 , HB222 , HB246 , HB420 , HB475 , HB486 , HB574 , HB584 , HB815 , HB949 , HB1092 , HB1214

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Keywords: SB 57, Act 735, Act 463, nutrition, public health, food additives, artificial colors, banned chemicals, ingredient labeling, food labeling, FDA, food and beverage regulation, consumer disclosure, school nutrition, Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 40, Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 17, food manufacturers, food retailers, compliance, effective date delay

Transcript Highlights:

• And that is to protect and preserve the freedoms of the people back home and make sure that government
• We see a lot of emergencies on bills, but this is in fact preserving public peace, health, and safety

Bills: HB2268 , HB3000 , HB3043 , HB3066 , HB3078 , HB3143 , HB3144 , HB3244 , HB3298 , HB3320 , HB3467 , HB3321 , HB3329 , HB3431 , HB3464 , HB3499 , HB3500 , HB3586 , HB3590 , HB3650 , HB3671 , HB3695 , HB3700 , HB3701 , HB3764 , HB3767 , HB3834 , HB3931 , HB3934 , HB3940 , HB3944 , HB3979 , HB3985 , HB4113 , HB4294 , HB4302 , HB4317 , HB4324 , HB4359 , HB4426 , HB4427 , HB4430 , HB4431 , HB4434 , HJR1077 , SR42 , SR35 , HJR1023 , HB1225 , HB1374 , HB1381 , HB1590 , HB1675 , HB2153

Keywords: HB2268, Oklahoma Health Care Authority, OHCA, appropriation, General Revenue Fund, PACE, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, elderly care, aging Oklahomans, long-term care, Medicaid, health care funding, provider reimbursement, rate increase, low-income seniors, senior services, integrated care, emergency measure, cosmetology, barbering

Transcript Highlights:

• Opportunities to preserve unsubsidized affordable housing are especially important at a time when the
• park owners to thoroughly consider the benefits, costs, and available resources for rebuilding and preserving

Summary: The committee heard several bills and took action on a number of them. SB 1234 by Senator Alvarado-Gil would require fentanyl to be included in drug tests ordered by juvenile courts for parents or guardians in dependency cases; there was no opposition, a committee member confirmed it would apply to caregivers rather than children, and the bill was supported for moving forward. SB 1257 by Senator Arreguín would require the Attorney General to publish an annual public report on immigration enforcement incidents at designated safe locations such as schools, hospitals, courthouses, and places of worship; supporters from immigrant advocacy and health groups testified about fear and chilling effects in communities, while questions focused on how data would be collected and concerns were raised about sanctuary policies. SB 1176 by Senator Choi would bar foreign adversary entities from buying California agricultural land; supporters cited national security concerns, but committee members pressed on enforcement, straw buyers, and who would be responsible for identifying prohibited purchasers, and the bill was held on a 2-4 vote after debate. The committee also heard SB 1146 by Senator Gonzalez, which would require clear disclosure when AI-generated or altered images, audio, or video are used in health-related advertisements depicting health care providers. The California Medical Association and California Dental Association supported the bill, describing deepfake health ads as deceptive and harmful; it passed the committee 7-0 to Appropriations. SB 988 by Senator Grayson would regulate auto glass insurance practices by restricting assignment of benefits, requiring claim numbers and itemized estimates, and addressing steering and billing practices; supporters said it would curb fraud and stabilize premiums, while independent glass businesses worried about steering and market concentration. After discussion of consumer choice and small-business impacts, the bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. SB 1288, presented by Senator Grayson on behalf of Senator Laird, would require financial institutions to make a good-faith effort to notify beneficiaries of non-probate assets and would reduce barriers to claiming those assets, especially for nonprofits. Nonprofit witnesses described long delays and burdensome account-opening requirements, while SIFMA and bankers opposed the bill unless amended, citing conflicts with federal and industry obligations and concerns about retroactivity and verification. The bill passed 8-0 to call. The committee also heard SB 941 by Senator Padilla, which would cap commissary markups in private immigration detention facilities at 35% above vendor cost; the Attorney General’s office and immigrant advocates supported it as a response to exploitative pricing and poor conditions, and it passed 8-0 to call. Finally, SB 909 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would raise and index public works contractor fees and penalties and dedicate more penalty revenue to enforcement; labor supporters said stronger funding is needed to address wage theft and backlogs, while contractors opposed the fee and penalty structure as uncapped and costly. The bill was moved forward on a vote and remained on call after committee discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was established in 1990 as part of the Idaho Centennial for historical preservation efforts, particularly
• building preservation, and they've done a great job.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum present, approved the prior day’s journal, and then moved through routine orders including committee reports, gubernatorial appointments, messages from the governor, and messages from the House. Several bills were introduced and referred to committees, including appropriations measures for the Department of Health and Welfare, a firearms preemption bill, and House measures on taxation, Medicaid, dentistry, and the National Guard. The Senate also received and filed various enrolled bills and confirmations, and advanced multiple measures to later orders for consideration. The chamber then took up a long series of third-reading bills. Among the major policy items discussed were Senate Bill 1412, creating the Idaho Student Safety and Educator Disclosure Act; House Bill 789, approving the Coeur d’Alene Tribe water rights settlement; House Bill 570, expanding reckless driving provisions for school and construction zones; House Bill 654, expanding the definition of police dogs to include electronic storage detection dogs; House Bill 681, removing statutes of limitation for certain child sex offenses; House Bill 575, requiring the state controller to publish asset forfeiture information; House Bill 736, lowering the threshold for ballot name rotation; House Bill 793, redirecting beer tax revenue to replace lost Alcohol Beverage Control funding; House Bill 798 and 799, repealing outdated state treasurer and alcohol code provisions; House Bill 665, revising Appaloosa specialty plate funding; and House Bill 667, ending non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses in Idaho. The Senate also debated housing and tax measures, including House Bill 707 on land division for financing accessory dwelling units, House Bill 722 on utility property tax reporting, House Bill 792 on occasional sales and yard sales, and House Bill 800 on manufactured home siting. Other bills addressed education, insurance, and health care. House Bill 815 corrected a transportation support funding issue for a charter school; House Bill 849 revised the career ladder for CTE instructors and pupil services staff; House Bill 562 increased notice periods for insurance cancellations and nonrenewals; House Bill 825 changed funding for the Idaho Heritage Trust and specialty plates; House Bill 788 created a preceptor-based prior authorization exemption for Medicaid providers; House Bill 785 established a school discipline framework for inappropriate online behavior; and House Bill 846 clarified student enrollment counts. Debate on these measures focused on consumer protection, workforce shortages, school safety, housing supply, and administrative cleanup. Most bills passed on voice or roll-call votes, with the Senate approving many measures by wide margins, though House Bill 849 passed narrowly and House Bill 788 passed with a closer vote. Several bills were returned to the House after Senate passage, and titles were approved without correction.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was established in 1990 as part of the Idaho Centennial for historical preservation efforts, particularly
• building preservation.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• amendment recalibrates the balance between the statewide decarbonization mandates and the economic preservation
• The balance between the statewide decarbonization mandates and the economic preservation of our industrial

Summary: The committee heard public testimony on Substitute Senate Bill 5828, which would restore and adjust Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship award levels for students attending private, not-for-profit four-year institutions. Staff explained the bill would set the awards at 90 percent of the regional and state college rate rather than 50 percent of the research rate, with an estimated fiscal impact of $3.3 million in fiscal year 2027 and $18.6 million over four years. Testimony was largely in support from private college presidents, students, and school counselors, who said the bill would help low-income and first-generation students and preserve access and enrollment choices; some public college student representatives said they did not oppose the bill but argued that cuts to public-school aid should be restored first. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5911, which would prohibit DCYF from using benefits or funds of youth in extended foster care as reimbursement for their cost of care beginning in 2027, while requiring support for benefit management and payee arrangements and allowing protected accounts such as ABLE accounts. Staff estimated a net fiscal impact of $608,000 in fiscal year 2027 and $2.2 million per biennium thereafter. Testimony in support said the bill would end the practice of withholding SSI and other benefits from youth in care and better support disabled youth transitioning to adulthood. Members asked questions about fiduciary responsibility and representative payee arrangements. In executive session, the committee adopted amendments and advanced several bills. It adopted Amendment Clark 350 to House Bill 2689, raising the required provider response rate for the child care market rate survey to 65 percent, and then reported the bill out with a due pass recommendation by a vote of 18-11, with two excused. It adopted Amendment H-3743.1 to Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5395 on retrospective prior authorization denials and reported that bill out unanimously. It also adopted Amendment Pool 272 to Senate Bill 5420 and reported that bill out unanimously. For Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5496, the committee adopted several amendments clarifying scope and penalties but rejected amendments that would have delayed the bill or replaced it with a study; the bill was then reported out with a due pass recommendation. The committee also heard amendment briefings on other bills, including 5981, 6026, 6160, 6184, and 6211, but deferred action on some items heard that morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• We ask that you would preserve our saltiness, the unique character and grace you have seasoned us with
• Give us the courage to be a preserving force for good in a world that often feels like it's decaying.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, journal approval, guest introductions, and recognition of doctors and other visitors. The chamber then moved through multiple Committee of the Whole calendars, considering a large number of bills on topics including public schools and curricula, transportation, health care, child welfare, municipal and county governance, homeowners’ associations, speech, and election-related matters. Several measures were retained on the calendar, while many others were advanced with committee or floor amendments. Among the more notable debates, senators discussed SB 1094, which would impose civil liability related to gender reassignment surgery on minors; supporters said it would compensate minors harmed by such procedures, while opponents argued it would discriminate against transgender youth, raise malpractice costs, and chill access to care. SB 1813, concerning the state hospital governing board and Maricopa County bed limits, drew concern about litigation and the need to expand capacity for people with serious mental illness, while supporters said the bill would remove a legal cap and allow more beds to be used. SB 1496 on Department of Child Safety procedures was amended to clarify representative payee requirements and received generally favorable comments, though some members raised concerns about child safety and DCS discretion. The Senate also advanced SCR 1004, a photo radar ballot referral, after an amendment requiring voter approval in jurisdictions that use photo radar; Senator Leach thanked the sponsor for the change. Other bills moved forward included measures on school firearm safety instruction, civics instruction, chiropractic claims, behavioral health prior authorization, psychiatric evaluations, DCS procedures, AHCCCS procurement contracting, county recorder and HOA-related issues, and legislative qualifications. The chamber adopted the Committee of the Whole reports and properly assigned the bills after each calendar was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it includes preserving the CalFresh Outreach Network, which is... And exemption screening.
• It includes preserving the CalFresh Outreach Network, which is affected by the administrative cost shifts

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services opened its first hearing of the year with a discussion centered on CalFresh, the Department of Social Services, and related anti-poverty and immigrant services programs. Chair Jackson framed the hearing as a response to the “historic and enormous challenges” created by H.R. 1, emphasizing that the committee’s goal was to minimize harm to vulnerable Californians. No votes were taken in the hearing. The first major topic was the impact of H.R. 1 on CalFresh eligibility and administration. CDSS estimated major federal funding reductions, with hundreds of thousands of Californians potentially losing benefits under new time limits and work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents, and additional losses among certain non-citizen groups. County welfare directors, eligibility workers, SEIU, and other advocates argued that counties are underfunded and understaffed to implement the new rules, and urged release of the previously authorized $20 million General Fund, a county match waiver, and an additional ongoing workforce investment. LAO and the Department of Finance said they were reviewing the administration’s proposals and emphasized the need to use existing data, automation, and statutory direction to reduce administrative burden and improve implementation. A second panel addressed county administrative backfill and the broader fiscal effects of H.R. 1. CDSS explained that the law shifts more administrative costs to the state and counties beginning in federal fiscal year 2027 and could also create future state benefit costs tied to payment error rates. County and food bank representatives warned that many counties will struggle to absorb the higher match and that penalties tied to payment error rates could worsen budget pressure. Members pressed Finance and CDSS for clearer timelines, written responses, and more detailed workload assumptions, while Finance said it was still analyzing the federal guidance and county resource needs. The final major topic was the California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and possible state responses for people losing federal CalFresh eligibility. CDSS said CFAP remains limited by statute and by the federal structure it currently uses, but that the planned expansion to Californians age 55 and older regardless of immigration status remains on track for October 1, 2027, subject to funding. Immigrant advocates urged the state to fold newly excluded humanitarian immigrants into CFAP and to invest in outreach and administration, while Western Center on Law and Poverty proposed a broader state-funded anti-hunger response for people cut off by H.R. 1. LAO noted that the CFAP expansion is difficult to estimate and that further policy and technical work would be needed to assess costs and implementation options.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rights preserved, disruption addressed.
• CCW holders differently from other public settings while preserving the ability to respond to true misconduct

Summary: The Senate met in multiple Committee of the Whole sessions and considered a large number of bills, many related to digital assets and cryptocurrency, including SB 1042, SB 1043, SB 1044, SB 1045, SB 1432, SCR 1003, SCR 1033, and SCR 1028. Members discussed whether the state should accept cryptocurrency for payments, tax or exempt virtual currency, ban central bank digital currency, and support digital assets in retirement systems. Senator Epstein repeatedly argued against the measures and tried to offer amendments targeting data center tax exemptions, but one such amendment was ruled not germane and the ruling was upheld on a division vote. The bills and resolutions in that group generally advanced with do-pass recommendations, with SB 1043 and SB 1044 amended before advancing. The Senate also advanced several bills on family law, public records, scholarship organizations, property conveyances, underground facilities, and environmental and energy issues, including SB 1039, SB 1139, SB 1147, SB 1148, SB 1328, SB 1078, SB 1142, SB 1184, SB 1254, SB 1278, SB 1281, SB 1418, SB 1445, and SB 1566. Some measures drew discussion and amendments: SB 1254 received a clarifying amendment for deeds handled by title and escrow professionals; SB 1278 had a floor amendment withdrawn; SB 1281 was amended by committee and floor changes; SB 1418 prompted questions about small modular reactors and concerns about uranium mining and health impacts; and SB 1566 was amended to address malicious delay enforcement and judicial review. Most of these bills received do-pass recommendations. In the health and human services calendar, the Senate advanced SB 1052, SB 1115, SB 1149, SB 1193, SB 1233, SB 1345, SB 1346, and SB 1631, with SB 1124 retained on the calendar. Debate centered on ACCESS and remote work, administrative deficiency cure periods, anonymous complaints, fee-for-service claims, and DCS-related hearings and investigations. Senator Gonzales opposed several ACCESS-related bills, arguing they lacked appropriations, could disrupt services, or conflicted with federal Medicaid law, while sponsors said the bills addressed agency performance and provider complaints. SB 1115, SB 1149, SB 1193, SB 1233, and SB 1345 were amended before receiving do-pass recommendations, and SB 1345’s sponsor said ACCESS was removed from the bill. The final calendar included regulatory and veterinary-related bills such as SB 1137, SB 1144, SB 1205, and SB 1286. SB 1205, dealing with motor vehicle booting fees, received a floor amendment requiring an appeals process for private parking lots. SB 1286, on veterinary telemedicine and prescriptions, drew the most extended debate, with a committee amendment and a Kavanagh floor amendment restoring a 14-day prescription extension and adding flea and tick treatment; Senator Leach opposed the floor amendment, describing prior stakeholder negotiations and changes in committee support. The transcript ends while that debate is still underway, after several bills have already been reported out with do-pass recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it includes preserving the CalFresh Outreach Network, which is... And exemption screening.
• And it includes preserving the CalFresh Outreach Network, which is affected by the administrative cost

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Rights preserved, disruption addressed.
• CCW holders differently from other public settings while preserving the ability to respond to true misconduct

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And this will preserve the bill's intent to collect, um, sales tax on building materials and construction
• And this will preserve the bill's intent to collect, um, sales tax on building materials and construction

Bills: HB403 , HB399 , HB392 , HB403 , HB399 , HB392

Committee: House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure

Keywords: criminal enterprise, database, law enforcement, data privacy, criminal justice, Lamar County, property auction, county commission, online auction, public notice, HB392, Lauderdale County, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, district attorney, chief assistant district attorney, assistant district attorney, assistant district attorneys, prosecutor, prosecutorial compensation, salary supplement

Transcript Highlights:

• Let us make him drink wine, and also go thou in and lie with him, that we may preserve the seed of our
• It doesn't preserve safety; it manufactures fear.

Bills: HB186 , HB201 , HB229 , HB796 , HB1506 , HB2702 , HB2885 , HB3225 , HB3909 , HB4285 , HB5138

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: social media, children, account verification, data privacy, parental control, financial crime, card fraud, motor fuel theft, law enforcement, criminal activity, skimmers, prevention, training, biological sex, government information, definitions, sex-based distinctions, public health, federal directives, state authority

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 186, which would require social media platforms to verify users are 18 or older before allowing account creation. Invited witnesses in support, including Mary Elizabeth Castle and David Dunmoyer, argued the bill would protect children from harmful algorithms, addictive design, bullying, sexual exploitation, and mental health harms, and emphasized parental rights and the idea that minors should not enter binding contracts with platforms. Committee members questioned them about how algorithms work, whether parents could realistically monitor content, and whether the bill would still allow educational use; the witnesses said the bill was narrowly aimed at harmful social media use and not educational content. Public testimony on HB 186 was largely in opposition, though several student witnesses said they supported the bill’s goals but wanted the age lowered to 16 or the bill amended to allow parental consent or joint accounts. Opponents argued the bill would be ineffective because teens could bypass age checks, would cut off access to educational tools, school communications, recruiting and NIL opportunities, and would burden free speech and privacy. Some witnesses also said social media helps teens with mental health, community, and creative or professional opportunities, while others warned the bill could disproportionately harm disabled and marginalized users. After public testimony closed, HB 186 was left pending. The committee then heard House Bill 5138, which Chairman Hughes said would respond to a court ruling limiting the Attorney General’s authority to prosecute election crimes unless invited by local prosecutors by changing the statute to require AG prosecution. Public testimony on HB 5138 was brief and opposed by at least one witness who argued it would further erode local control and expand state preemption. The bill was left pending after testimony. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3225, a library bill aimed at keeping sexually explicit books and materials out of children’s sections in municipal libraries and requiring age verification for checkout, including digital access, with parental consent and other revisions added in the House. Supporters said the bill would protect children from explicit material and keep such content in adult sections, while opponents argued it would amount to censorship, be costly and difficult to implement, and could be used to target LGBTQ+ or other marginalized content. Library workers, parents, students, and advocates testified that existing library sections already separate age-appropriate materials and that the bill could reduce access to books, burden libraries, and infringe on parental choice and free expression.

Transcript Highlights:

• agencies, protecting students from years of negative credit impact even after debts are repaid, while preserving
• Their debts are repaid while preserving other collection tools that schools may need.

Summary: The committee hearing covered several higher education bills, with extensive testimony on student aid, affordability, and institutional debt. AB 587 would add veteran representation to the California Student Aid Commission; the author said the change would bring lived experience from the veteran community to student aid policy, and members raised a concern about keeping the commission’s membership odd-numbered, which the author said would be addressed by amendment. AB 791 would standardize cost-of-attendance housing calculations using objective data and improve notice of the adjustment process; supporters said current budgets often underestimate students’ real living costs, while UC, CSU, and independent colleges opposed or had concerns about the bill’s prescribed methodology, fiscal impact, and a 14-day turnaround for adjustments. AB 850 would create a one-term grace period for students with institutional debt to re-enroll while arranging repayment, bar reporting that debt to credit agencies, and require more transparency; proponents described students being blocked from continuing school over debts, while CSU, UC, and private-college representatives said they already use holds and payment plans and worried about added liabilities and budget pressures. AB 537 would extend the California College Promise Program to part-time community college students; supporters said most community college students attend part-time and should not be excluded from fee waivers, while the committee noted fiscal concerns but ultimately advanced the bill. AB 7 would allow universities to consider whether an applicant is a descendant of American chattel slavery in admissions as a reparative measure; supporters framed it as lineage-based reparative justice, while opponents argued it would function as a racial proxy and conflict with Proposition 209 and equal-protection principles. The committee took roll-call votes on the measures, advancing AB 587, AB 791, AB 850, and AB 537 to Appropriations, with AB 850 and AB 537 receiving fewer votes and the roll left open for additional members.

Transcript Highlights:

• freedoms we enjoy in this land and for the fact that we have a government dedicated to protecting and preserving
• All of that is preserved. What this does is deal with these shadowy prediction markets.
• It creates safeguards, and it includes an exemption to preserve the current framework for legal gambling
• , this A14 amendment provides exactly the data privacy protections and clarifications that would preserve
• the security of of my would preserve the security of of my constituents.<02:15:04.880><c> uh</c><02:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Number one, it preserves the bundled nature of wraparound, which makes the program so successful.
• The assessment preserves the care management entities' ability to receive reimbursement for the full
• Number one, it preserves the bundled nature of wraparound, which makes the program so successful.
• The assessment preserves the care management entities' ability to receive reimbursement for the full
• The assessment preserves the care management entities' ability to receive reimbursement for the full

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 562, which would create a home damage mitigation and resilience grant program aimed at helping homeowners make property improvements that could reduce insurance costs and non-renewals. Commissioner DJ Bettencourt of the New Hampshire Insurance Department explained that the program is modeled in part on Alabama’s safer homes program, but tailored for New Hampshire hazards such as floods, microbursts, heavy snow, ice, and falling trees. He said the grants would be limited to primary residences, subject to a means test, capped at $10,000, and intended to help homeowners make targeted improvements such as roof fortification or tree removal that could improve underwriting outcomes and lead to premium discounts. Bettencourt said the program would not use state taxpayer funds and would instead rely on philanthropic donations, possible federal or regional housing-bank funding, and other outside sources. He said the department would not need new staff, and that a current position could be reconfigured to help administer the program part-time. Committee members asked about the funding language, the meaning of “loans” in the bill, whether there were any other states using a similar no-state-funds model, and how many homeowners could be helped. Bettencourt said Rhode Island and Connecticut were moving forward in a similar way, and that the number of beneficiaries would depend on how much money is raised. Members also questioned how the grant program would actually lower premiums, whether savings would apply only to participants or more broadly, and how the IBHS evaluation process would work. Bettencourt and department staff said the direct benefit would be to the homeowner whose property is improved, though neighbors could also benefit in some cases. They explained that IBHS is a building-safety organization that certifies contractors and inspectors and that its standards can qualify homes for insurer discounts. Questions were also raised about confidentiality provisions, first-come-first-served grant awards, rollover of unused applications, and possible tax treatment of donations. The sponsor said those details would be addressed through rulemaking or existing tax rules, and no vote was taken during the hearing.

Committee: House Education Policy and Administration

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Emergency resource preservation, meaning rushed or inaccurate locates, can lead to major service disruption
• Emergency<01:18:23.280><c> resource</c><01:18:23.840><c> preservation,</c> Emergency resource preservation
• , Emergency resource preservation, meaning<01:18:26.320><c> um</c><01:18:26.640><c> rushed</c><01:18:

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But they're also interested in preserving their ability to economically exist in New Hampshire, which
• ><c> ability</c><04:30:27.920><c> to</c> in preserving their ability to in preserving their ability to
• We should want to preserve those jobs and what they bring to our economy.
• We should want to preserve economy.
• We should want to preserve those<04:51:38.638><c> jobs</c><04:51:38.878><c> and</c><04:51:39.120><c>

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met on April 14 and began by welcoming a new member, Representative Samban Denier, who briefly described his background as a Clarkson University environmental engineering graduate and Air Force veteran. The committee then moved into a work session on five energy-related bills, starting with Senate Bill 65 on stormwater management for solar arrays. Representative McGee presented amendment 1594H, which would exclude projects in shoreland areas from the bill’s permit-by-notification process and require the standard alteration-of-terrain permit review instead. Members asked for clarification, and McGee explained the amendment was requested by the New Hampshire Lakes Association and others to preserve the fuller review process for shoreland projects. The committee appeared satisfied with the explanation and moved on. The committee next discussed Senate Bill 230 on electric utility restructuring and investment in distributed energy resources. Members concluded that section one was unnecessary because a better definition of advanced nuclear resources had already been added to House Bill 710, and that section two would allow investment in advanced nuclear resources in a way they had already rejected in another bill due to ratepayer risk. Several members agreed the bill was redundant and supported an ITL motion. They also discussed Senate Bill 232 on net metering terms and conditions, focusing first on whether hydroelectric generators could be listed in ISO New England while also taking net metering credits. Granite State Hydropower Association representative Heidi Kroll testified that generators are subject to checks and balances, that double-dipping is not occurring, and that rules and tariffs already require participation in one market arrangement or the other. Discussion on Senate Bill 232 then shifted to section two, which would bar retroactive changes to net metering tariffs in place as of January 1, 2025. Representative McGee proposed alternative language to protect existing customer generators, group hosts, and municipal hosts from retroactive changes, while others said the language was needed to provide stability for current participants operating on thin margins. Some members supported the clearer wording; others argued the committee should not tie the hands of the PUC and DOE, noting future circumstances could require regulatory flexibility and that conflicts could be resolved in court if necessary. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion of the meeting provided, and the discussion was still ongoing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• But they're also interested in preserving their ability to economically exist in New Hampshire, which
• ><c> ability</c><04:30:27.920><c> to</c> in preserving their ability to in preserving their ability to
• We should want to preserve those jobs and what they bring to our economy.
• We should want to preserve economy.
• We should want to preserve those<04:51:38.638><c> jobs</c><04:51:38.878><c> and</c><04:51:39.120><c>

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Keywords: 1189, house, all